Warriors, Winners (Warriors 92, Nuggets 88)

Someday, hopefully soon, this will be routine. But right now, after two decades wandering in the basketball desert, it’s special. The Warriors are heading to the second round of the playoffs — despite the injuries, the “hit men” drama and the mistakes on the court. The Warriors got here through unselfish teamwork, unabashed toughness and an unshakable confidence in themselves when most doubted them. It’s Mark Jackson’s finest moment as a coach, and it might just be a turning point for professional basketball in the Bay Area. Warriors, winners. What a concept.

Game 6 breaks down nicely into three acts. The first half was a shambolic, disjointed mess, but the Warriors managed to keep contact thanks to Andrew Bogut’s heroics at both ends (he finished the half with 8 points on 4-5 shooting, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 blocks). The third quarter and early fourth was the surge we all knew was possible if Stephen Curry found his shot. After going 1-6 in the first half, he went 4-6 in the third on his way to a 14 point quarter. The wave crested at an 18-point lead early in the fourth quarter and the Arena shifted from pandemonium to whatever state of excitement exists beyond that (hysteria?). The celebration was premature. The Warriors committed a shocking 9 turnovers in the fourth quarter. 4 of them were in the final 80 seconds. The Nuggets found themselves in a wild scrum under the basket with 12 seconds left, down by a bucket. They failed to convert — somehow, mercifully — and the Warriors escaped by the thinnest of margins. Young teams will make mistakes, and good teams will find a way to win despite them. The Warriors were a good team on Thursday night, but just barely.

Repressing momentarily the Hindenburg-crashing-into-the-Titanic level of disaster witnessed at game’s end, the Warriors won this game in the third quarter thanks to three very important things:

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Penetration — The Warriors’ shooters couldn’t find the mark in the first half. Rather than simply trying to jump shoot their way back into rhythm, they attacked the Nuggets’ interior defense to start the third quarter. In the process, Kenneth Faried picked up two quick fouls and an early trip to the bench. The Nuggets defense wasn’t the same without him, as the slower Kosta Koufos proved incapable of making the quick adjustments on defense needed to counter the Warriors inside-out ball movement. The Warriors may have been the smaller team, but they exploited their speed and ability to stretch the court to the fullest. With the offense finally opening up a bit against a slower-rotating Nuggets defense, Stephen Curry got just enough daylight to start rolling.

A superstar — The point at which a good player crosses over to superstar status has been a hot topic in the series given Stephen Curry’s tremendous play. Mark Jackson gave a pretty good working definition during his gushing post-game press conference. Jackson said that he told Curry early in the game, when he was struggling, that Curry was the best player on the court and would eventually have a moment in this game when things would come together. And at that moment, Jackson told Curry, others would follow him. The greatness of Curry in this game and this series wasn’t just his own scoring — it’s how his play made his teammates better. Look no further than the third quarter. Of the 9 made field goals, Curry hit 4 of them and assisted 3 others. The 2 done without him were by Landry and Bogut, who were given room to work in the paint because of how far Curry had stretched the Denver defense. Curry fought through physical, swarming defense to play his style of basketball. When he finally found his moment, his team caught fire.

Defense — The Nuggets shot 34.7% on 98 shots. That’s a shocking number for a few reasons. First, the Warriors consistently denied the Nuggets good shots — they shot 41% in the first quarter, then 27%, 35% and 36% as the Warriors’ defense tightened up. It wasn’t just a good burst or two of defense from one combination of Warriors’ players, it was a team-wide effort. Second, the Nuggets managed 98 shots — 21 more than the Warriors — and still lost the game. The shooting percentage is a big part of that (the Nuggets only made 3 more shots than the Warriors, 34-31). But the Warriors ability to defend well without fouling excessively is another key aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked. The the Warriors won the free throw battle with 3 more attempts (24-21) and 10 more makes (23-13). Guys like Bogut, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson repeatedly got stops on aggressive but clean defensive plays — the type that go just to the limit, but stay on the right side of the law. If the Warriors had sent the Nuggets to the line 2 or 3 more times, this game easily could have gone the other way. Instead, the Warriors controlled the paint and denied easy looks, but did so cleanly. That type of defense would have been unimaginable at the beginning of the season, let alone the last few years.

Jackson gave 7 guys major minutes and 1 guy 1 minute. I’ll do the same:

Stephen Curry — As Jackson alluded to in his comments to Curry, there was zero doubt who the best player on the court was this series. It’s thrilling for Warriors fans to be in that position, after being on the opposite side for so long. The maturation we’ve seen from Curry has been just what you would have hoped for in his first playoff run. He got knocked around in Game 5, but came back in Game 6 for the sweetest possible revenge. But just because Curry is maturing doesn’t mean there aren’t moments of reversion. He played a bit fast and loose with the ball in the fourth quarter, allowing a few Nuggets baskets to accelerate into a full blown run. Had one of those turnovers cost the Warriors the game, it could have cast a different light on Curry’s performance. Because the Warriors dodged a bullet, it just does down as a terrifying learning experience. Curry’s been through it now; he’ll be better equipped to avoid similar mistakes next time. His positive leadership vastly outweighed his mistakes this series.

Andrew Bogut — When you consider what’s at stake and what physical challenges he’s dealing with, there’s a strong case to be made that this was the finest game of Bogut’s professional career. He carried this team through the first half and kept coming up with one big play after another. 21 rebounds looks impressive, but it’s even more so when you look at how he got them — ripping the ball away from guys like Faried and McGee; throwing his body against heavyweights like Koufos. His 14 points on 7-10 shooting also looks nice in the box score, but again understates how thoroughly he dissected how the Nuggets were defending him. If Jarrett Jack had bothered to look up while handling the ball in the fourth quarter, Bogut easily could have 2 or 3 more dunks. But all stats aside, Bogut’s biggest impact on the game was scaring the Nuggets scorers out of the paint. He made nearly every attempted lay-up a challenge. There were some horrible, throw-it-over-the-rim-and-miss-everything attempts by Denver thanks to Bogut’s massive outstretched arms. The Nuggets finally gave up and retreated to jump shots, where they missed 2 for every 1 they made. The most thrilling thought is that we haven’t seen the best of Bogut yet. It may not be next series, where his body will take even more abuse, but he was already talking post-game about taking the summer to bring his body back into even better shape, working on his offensive game and developing more chemistry with Curry. Game 6 could be the real start of Bogut’s impact on the Warriors, not it’s apex.

Draymond Green — Andrew Bogut summed up Green best in his post-game comments. ”Draymond Green wins games.” That’s exactly what he did in Game 6, in some expected and unexpected ways. The defense and rebounding is expected, but was nonetheless exceptional. 10 rebounds in 24 minutes is an elite-level rate. To do it against an excellent rebounding team like the Nuggets makes it even sweeter. The 16 points on 6-12 shooting is found money. Green showed no hesitation making plays throughout the game. For a guy who has struggled all season to knock down shots, he looked supremely comfortable and confident. There’s one image of Green that sums it all up for me. With 4:41 to go and the Warriors struggling to maintain the lead, Green came to the scorers table to check in for Landry. Crouching against the table, waiting to check into the game, Green had the biggest smile on his face — as if there was nowhere he’d rather be in the world than checking into the fourth quarter of an elimination game with his team desperately needing a jump start. Green checked in, scored the next 6 points, and the rest is now history.

Jarrett Jack — Game 6 was not Jack’s finest moment as a Warrior, to put it politely. Off the court, news circulated early in the game that Jack had turned down the Warriors’ initial offer of a contract extension and would test the free agent waters this off season (he may still return, he just wants to see what price the market will set for his services). On the court, Jack looked more like part of the Warriors’ problems than their solution. He over-dribbled repeatedly, missing a variety of quality looks to Bogut and Thompson for wide-open shots. His turnovers early in the fourth quarter helped Denver get early momentum on their way to roaring back into the game. His shot was off, but he wasn’t bashful about taking it. The Warriors need Jack to be a stable, mistake-free veteran. He was that player at times during this series, but too often he’s overextending — trying to do too much, and getting in trouble as a result. The Spurs feast on ill-advised plays like the ones Jack was making Thursday night. He’ll need to be more consistent if the Warriors are going to have a fighting chance in the second round.

Carl Landry — Like Jack, it’s Landry’s role to be a steadying presence for the younger Warriors. Unlike Jack, he filled that role well in Game 6. Despite only logging 19 minutes, he contributed big buckets to the Warriors’ third quarter run. When the Warriors started stretching the Denver defense, he picked his spots and got some quality looks at the basket. His struggles early against a stronger, quicker Denver front line show why Jackson made the right choice generally going small with Barnes when Lee went down. It’ll be interesting to see what adjustments the Warriors make now against the Spurs. Landry could find himself playing more in round 2 against a slower but savvier San Antonio front line.

Harrison Barnes — Mark Jackson singled out the performance of his rookies during the post-game press conference, talking about the moment in the first half when looked out on the court and realized he was playing three rookies in a playoff elimination game. What may sound crazy in the abstract was one of the Warriors’ secrets to victory. (Side note: no one in the NBA got better value out of draft picks last year than Bob Myers. That return on investment is one of the biggest things that’s changed about this team over the past few years). When Lee went down, all the Warriors rookies elevated their games. Barnes, in particular, seemed to thrive with the extra playing time and responsibility. His line in Game 6 wasn’t among his best, but the +12 plus/minus is telling. Barnes gave the Warriors all-around contributions at the stretch power forward spot. He was as solid on defense as he was on offense. He made smart, careful plays with the ball (0 turnovers). He showed a composure beyond his years. It took him until the 84th game of his rookie season to find a consistent rhythm, but Barnes now looks like he can be a major contributor on this team in the years to come.

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Klay Thompson — Consistency is the last thing I’d associate with Thompson’s offense at the moment. After brilliant performances early in the series, he disappeared again in Game 6. He only got one shot in the first quarter (a miss) and seemed out of synch when he got more looks in the second (1-6). Things didn’t improve much in the second half (2-6). When Curry’s trapped, another shooter needs to be capable of punishing defenses. behind the arc. Oddly, Green was more that man in Game 6 (2-4 from three) than Thompson (0-6). But all offensive worries aside, Thompson’s defense continues to be the team’s secret weapon. The Nuggets’ three guards shot a combined 17-51. Thompson had time on all of them. Things won’t get any easier against the Spurs.

David Lee — George Karl’s description of Lee’s appearance pretty much sums it up. ”Weird.” Jackson appears to have brought him back for an emotional boost (as if the Warriors needed one). He also may have wanted to test Lee in a game setting to see how much he could really manage physically. Lee’s absence will be felt much more in the Spurs series than it was against Denver, given the match-ups. If there’s any chance that Lee might be in good enough shape to log some spot minutes, this provide a trial run with a bit of made-for-TV drama thrown in for good measure. But given what we saw in Lee’s 1:27, I wouldn’t pencil him into my line-up card for Game 1 quite yet.

The Warriors’ locker room after the game was upbeat, but not overly raucous. It looked nothing like the scene after the team clinched the playoffs, or even after the Game 2 win in Denver. The demoralizing way the Warriors closed the game likely had something to do with the mood, but I like to think it’s a sign of maturation. The Warriors’ sights are set beyond the first round. The victory was cause for celebration, but not the ultimate goal. There was just the slightest hint of a tension in players’ post-game comments — the pull between the realization of how good the team has become and the yet-unfulfilled desire to become even better.

Adam Lauridsen

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dr_john, I’d bet money on Curry making all nba 3rd team (with a chance of 2nd team if the Dubs somehow won the present series). There are a few terrific defenders at center – Noah, Gasol, Howard (if healthier). But if Bogut improves his health over the off-season and shows some durability next season he could be in the mix. I wonder too whether Rush (assuming he fully recovers) playing on a team with a good record in the West next season (reasonable hope for the Dubs at this point) might be better recognized for his perimeter defense.

nelliesbiggestfan

funny how bry changes my challenges and acts as if he wins. I wrote that there were no two way bigs available instead of lee. Bry changes that to “top flight” bigs and give the example of chandler as an available big.

everybody knows chandler is not a two way player. to take full advantage of his great but limited skillset you have to pair him with a good offensive PF, like the mavs did with nowitzki. The knicks paired chandler with stoudamire and when he’s hurt melo plays a lot at pf.

Lacob wanted chandler to play next to lee, a good plan. Bry would have traded for chandler and still would have had a gaping hole at PF with only AR or BW to play there, not good.

in addition chandler was not as available as bry thinks. Dallas had an instant expiring contract, dampier could be traded and cut and that salary came off the books the same season, which saved charlotte a ton of money, the w’s never had that kind of contract.

sorry bry, I won’t say nice try because you cheated, I said two way big and you know it. Try again if you want but I’ll be watching you to make sure you play fair.

nelliesbiggestfan

You lefties need to respect other people’s rights a lot more than you do. You claim to be offended but what you’re really trying to do is control other’s speech.

the w’s are a private organization. If lacob and the other owners find MJ and the players public religious displays acceptable then they are acceptable. An African American coach and his African American players shouldn’t have to worry whether or not a bunch of white atheists are offended by what they say. Get over it, this is a free country, part of being free is putting up with people who disagree with you, and get off Zume’s back he can post what he wants just like the rest of you do.

If I told you I’m offended by lefty Hollywood movie makers constantly injecting their politics in their moves, would you care ? would you want it stopped ? of course you wouldn’t, you’re such hypocrites. Our entire public college system is dominated by liberal professors filling students heads with left wing propaganda. Do you want the kind of “diversity” that would require an equal number of liberal and conservative professors ? of course you don’t.

If you guys had your way you would shut up every form of conservative cultural, religious, and political expression and the excuse you would use would be to stop offensive speech and to promote “diversity”. What a joke. Go left and it leads right to authoritarian government every time.

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Shut up

Coltraning

Ew, what’s that stink? There a skunk nearby? Someone take a dump or something? Oh…THAT’S who…

bryhsiao

NBF, Tyson Chandler averaged double double in the past 3 years and the defensive player of the year candidate every year.
if double double is not enough of offense for you, you are an idiot, period.

Bogut is not averaging double double this year and you freaking called him 2 way big.
2 way big is one that when he received the ball, he could do something with it. who the f cares if Tyson chandler cannot score 20, his value is not scoring 20.

If we did not trade for Lee to play C for us, we have tons of expiring left to go for Chandler.
Just because we put them all in for Lee, we could not do anything to get Chandler.

Dirk played all these year including this year, the only year he had an champion –> Tyson Chandler.

Easy to figure that no matter how good offensively your big is, without a defensive big with ability to finish inside, no champion.

Dallas’ success that year and all the failure since.
Warriors failure all the last 19 years and the success this year.

The difference?
Tyson Chandler and ABogut.
enough said.

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“enough said”

Really?

bryhsiao

Without Lee, PF spot will be a gaping hole?
we got 4M Landry, cheap rookie contract Green, Barnes. What gaping hole?
offense and rebounding could be redistributed. They may not do as efficient and as great as Lee.

That does not mean they could not do enough to win games.

Also those shot attempts can go to Bogut/Ezeli and Curry/Thompson/Jack as well.

Their defense could also make a difference in the absence of Lee.

Really need a scoring PF? Glen Davis ,Andray Blatche, JJ Hickson, can all score a bunch in much cheaper contracts.

What was this team really lacking like every non-playoff team also lacking?

A defensive monster like Bogut/Chandler/Hibbert/Noam who got paid like top Cs usually do.

hum… what should we do with expiring contracts?
lets get our 80M dollar Offensive PF and play him at C since we wont be able to pay a defensive monster like chandler?
Or
lets get Chandler/Bogut type of C and play Landry/GDavis/Blatche/BBass type of cheaper PF and still be able to get by?

Do we want to be like a chandler less Dallas? Or this year’s Warriors.?

THe answer is easy. WARRIORS. And We will shock the world again against Spurs.

Tired

fair and balanced high school quiz Quiz for nbf:

The moon is made out of:

1. Rocks and dust and stuff that coalesced from a meteor hitting the earth.